Search - My Bloody Roommates on DVD

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Zack Davisson | Seattle, WA, USA | 03/03/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

""My Bloody Roommates" (alternately known as "D-Day") is the third in the "K-Horror" series released by Pathfinder Pictures. The "K-Horror" series was produced by Ahn Byung Ki (Phone) in order to bring some life and new blood to Korea's horror film genre. Each story is done by a different director adapting the short story works of writer Yoo Il Han, and concentrates on a different subtext of the horror genre.

The Haunted School is the motif for "My Bloody Roommates," which is a theme that Korean horror does particularly well (think Memento Mori and Whispering Corridors). The director here is Eun kyung Kim, making his first feature film, and he hits all the notes just right.

The story begins at The Younghwa Academy, a last-ditch reform school for girls who failed their university entrance exams. The academy promises that its strict boot camp mentality will force the girls to be academic achievers. ("D-Day" in the film's alternate title refers to the university exam a year away, which the entire school is counting down to.) No foolishness is tolerated at the Younghwa Academy, and the first act of all incoming students is to surrender their personal possessions and to change into their new school uniform consisting of a baggy tracksuit. 100% of everything they need will be provided by the academy, and all they need is too study. No distractions allowed.

Three girls are assigned to be roommates, the nerdy and positive Da-Young (Heo Jin-Yong), the rebellious and privileged Yoo-Jin (Lee Eun-seong) and the studious Eun-Su (Ri na Kim). All of the girls are given new names, a number based on their score in the high school exam. Eun-Su is number one, as she actually passed the exam but her parents decided her score was not high enough. The Younghwa Academy discipline is merciless, and soon all of the girls feel the strain. Eun-Su begins to experience visions of the school halls filled with the bloody bodies of dead girls, but she does not know if these are true supernatural experiences or if she is merely cracking under the strain.

"My Bloody Roommates" was by far my favorite of the "K-Horror" series. This is Korean horror done right, focusing on atmosphere and shadowy corners rather than on bloody special effects and slaughter like in Dark Forest of Death. I was impressed that this was done by essentially amateurs. All of the girls did a fantastic job despite their lack of experience, and there was not a weak cast member in the entire film. Ri na Kim was especially effective as the slowly spiraling Eun-Su, with the effects of her visions taking a visible strain on her face. Lee Eun-seong and Heo Jin-Yong also manage to pull of their slightly more stereotyped characters with credibility and passion.

The "K-Horror" series has been mostly watchable good efforts from up-and-coming actors and directors, but "My Bloody Roommates" is the only one that is a slam-dunk.
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